Other times it’s Connor looking at me and pretending he didn’t know me.”

“You are allowed to be hurt by both,” Helen answered.

I asked whether she had suspected the relationship between Connor and Bridgett.

She shook her head.

“I noticed he was absent.

I thought he was hiding a problem at work.

I never imagined he would be so cowardly when you needed him.”

She stayed to eat soup, and for one evening we spoke about things other than the investigation.